# Lawrence Lessig Ends campaign - blames DNC

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-lessig-ends-campaign-blames-dnc/736491>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Created:** [November 3, 2015, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-lessig-ends-campaign-blames-dnc/736491 "2015-11-03T03:35:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 18\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-lessig-ends-campaign-blames-dnc/736491/1 "2015-11-03T03:35:46Z")

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Larry withdrew from the race today saying the DNC had excluded him from any debates with a new rule. That rule said that at least one person must have heard of the candidate and cared whether or not he was in the debate. Lessig failed to meet that threshold.

This ends a long arduous campaign for Lessig that included some highlights such as being less well known than Lincoln Chaffee and a stealth campaign that was so successful it received no coverage what-so-ever.

We will miss this man, his lack of presence, his unknown agenda, his tireless insignificance, are not likely to seen in American politics again for at least the next four years.

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**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-lessig-ends-campaign-blames-dnc/736491/2 "2015-11-03T03:39:17Z")

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This is just the break the Lessig campaign has been looking for.

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**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-lessig-ends-campaign-blames-dnc/736491/3 "2015-11-03T03:42:05Z")

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[From here:](http://www.theverge.com/2015/11/2/9659074/lawrence-lessig-drops-out-of-presidential-race)

> [@](#):
>
> “I may be known in tiny corners of the tubes of the internet, but I am not well-known to the American public generally,”

I think he’s still overestimating his strength.

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**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-lessig-ends-campaign-blames-dnc/736491/4 "2015-11-03T03:43:01Z")

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Who?

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**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-lessig-ends-campaign-blames-dnc/736491/5 "2015-11-03T03:55:32Z")

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I know who Lessig is, but mainly because my Ethics professor in college loved him and we had to read one of his books.

He’s a smart, interesting guy, but he’s in no way a politician. I’m kinda surprised he even bothered to run - he had to know he wouldn’t even get enough interest to get some of his issues as part of the platform.

My biggest feeling on it is “at least now the wikipedia page will reflect reality instead of including never-wills in the democratic candidate list”.

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**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-lessig-ends-campaign-blames-dnc/736491/6 "2015-11-03T03:56:44Z")

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Finally the chance Willie Carter has been waiting for to move up in the Democratic race.

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**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-lessig-ends-campaign-blames-dnc/736491/7 "2015-11-03T04:02:11Z")

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> [@Morgenstern](#):
>
> Who?

I think she won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2007. Huh, I didn’t even know she was eligible to run.

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**Author:** ![DerekMichaels00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@DerekMichaels00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DerekMichaels00)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-lessig-ends-campaign-blames-dnc/736491/8 "2015-11-03T04:23:31Z")

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boohoo. Honestly, the DNC has to stop these clowns like Lessig and Chafee from getting in the first place. With Bernie, I do think its smart to have a primary that looks contested so that the media doesn’t go about saying “its not democratic.” Sometimes, you have to go thru motions.

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**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-lessig-ends-campaign-blames-dnc/736491/9 "2015-11-03T04:29:04Z")

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Chafee is at least a politician with some record of success. Less of is s very smart man, but there’s no reason to ever have treated him as a serious candidate for the Democratic Party. Had he been serious about running, he should have formed his own party.

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**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-lessig-ends-campaign-blames-dnc/736491/10 "2015-11-03T06:06:36Z")

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Lesig wrote about his “Referendum President” concept at the Atlantic in the middle of October: [Larry Lessig Isn't Giving Up On His Presidential Campaign\<!-- --\> - The Atlantic](http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/10/referendum-presidency-larry-lessig/411013/)

The idea is that he would be nominated by the Dems, elected in November, pass campaign finance reform, then resign.

Why would a Republican want to vote for somebody like that? Why would a swing voter? Campaign finance reform is important, sure, but there’s no evidence that it motivates people to grab pitchforks and vote against their interest or even break up their apathy.

Also, why would a Republican Congress decide to pass meaningful campaign finance reform just because a referendum President has been elected? In short, what the heck was he going on about?

I say that if you want to tilt at windmills, hammer out a constitutional amendment and make sure you get groups ranging from the Sierra Club to the Tea Party on board.

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**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-lessig-ends-campaign-blames-dnc/736491/11 "2015-11-03T06:29:28Z")

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> [@DerekMichaels00](#):
>
> boohoo. Honestly, the DNC has to stop these clowns like Lessig and Chafee from getting in the first place. With Bernie, I do think its smart to have a primary that looks contested so that the media doesn’t go about saying “its not democratic.” Sometimes, you have to go thru motions.

I disagree. Anyone should be able to run for President.

But running should be seen as a winnowing process. There are Bernie Sanders who catch on with the public and there are Lawrence Lessigs who do not. The role of the parties is to kick out the candidates who aren’t making it not provide them with artificial support.

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**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-lessig-ends-campaign-blames-dnc/736491/12 "2015-11-03T06:31:49Z")

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> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#):
>
> Why would a Republican want to vote for somebody like that? Why would a swing voter?

Why would a Democrat? A guy pledging to spend every bit of political capital on an esoteric election reform law\* that will have a high likelihood of being overturned by a hostile court, after which we will get some random guy as president (identity to be revealed later!) is not someone I would consider voting for in the Democratic primary.

\*Which includes dumb ideas like “make election day a national holiday.” The number of people who aren’t voting because election day is inconvenient is very small, and that problem can be solved with _flipping postage stamps_. But yeah, confiscate 1/365 of the economy because you’re too lazy to _send people a postage-paid envelope_.

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**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-lessig-ends-campaign-blames-dnc/736491/13 "2015-11-03T12:07:58Z")

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> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> I disagree. Anyone should be able to run for President.

Anyone should be able to run for president, sure, by trying to seek the nomination of an established party, starting a new party, or as an independent. But parties should be able to control who runs as their nominees.

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**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-lessig-ends-campaign-blames-dnc/736491/14 "2015-11-03T12:51:13Z")

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> [@DerekMichaels00](#):
>
> Honestly, the DNC has to stop these clowns like Lessig and Chafee from getting in the first place.

What sorts of rules should each party have to limit what sort of people declare their candidacy for their respective nominations? What harm does it do to the party or its nominating process if some nobody throws his/her hat into the ring, but draws no notice, isn’t invited to any debates, and goes nowhere?

The informal standard for inclusion in debates has long seemed to be: if you’re drawing noticeable support, or have held high office (usually senator or governor), or both, you’ll get invited. That’s the point where a degree of gatekeeping takes place, and it seems to be the right place for it.

Webb and Chafee, as well as the three remaining candidates, met that standard. Lessig didn’t: he had never held significant political office, and had no following. That kept him out of the debates, as it should have, even though he bitched about that. He didn’t get to share a stage with Hillary and Bernie just because he’d decided to run. It doesn’t work like that. If he’d been able to gain nontrivial support from potential primary voters, then he would have been included, as Trump, Carson, and Fiorina have been on the GOP side.

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**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-lessig-ends-campaign-blames-dnc/736491/15 "2015-11-03T12:55:54Z")

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My favorite tweet on the subject, from Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me…

> [@@waitwait](#):
>
> Today, Larry Lessig suspended his campaign for the Democratic nomination. You may remember Larry Lessig from this tweet about Larry Lessig.

Harsh but fair.

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**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-lessig-ends-campaign-blames-dnc/736491/16 "2015-11-03T14:27:38Z")

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Lawrence Lessig Ends campaign - blames DNC ?

I blame the SDMB! This board is my major news source, but I never even heard of the guy. :eek: I think his campaign idea was great! (Of course I’d also root for Don Quixote as well.)

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**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-lessig-ends-campaign-blames-dnc/736491/17 "2015-11-19T20:43:37Z")

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Hey, I knew who he was!

He had a really terrible strategy, though. He ran on the platform of not actually wanting to be President, staying in only long enough to pass new campaign finance laws, and then resigning.

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**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-lessig-ends-campaign-blames-dnc/736491/18 "2015-11-19T20:47:35Z")

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> [@Lord\_Feldon](#):
>
> \*Which includes dumb ideas like “make election day a national holiday.” The number of people who aren’t voting because election day is inconvenient is very small, and that problem can be solved with _flipping postage stamps_. But yeah, confiscate 1/365 of the economy because you’re too lazy to _send people a postage-paid envelope_.

“1/365”? Really? As if there are no other national holidays?

As for voting by mail, that’s the most obvious invitation to election fraud yet practiced in this country.